Notifications
by ricaruns
Summary: Erin Strauss hopes she never has to give a death notification for Alpha team, and this reflects her thoughts about what doing a death notification would entail.


Author's Note: I don't own Criminal Minds. This one shot is influenced by episodes 7x23 Hit, 7x24 Run and 8x7 The Fallen. I've added background information on some characters, since it is my prerogative. Also, I have no knowledge of FBI procedure, but keep in mind this is fiction. AU.

As a Section Chief, Erin Strauss hated when her teams went to the West Coast. It seemed there was something about the West Coast that makes the unsubs more vicious and more devious. The time difference also made it hard to coordinate efforts and receive timely phone updates from Aaron Hotchner. Strauss will freely admit, she has had problems with the BAU Alpha team but she never wanted to call up their families and tell them their beloved family member is dead and is never coming home.

Without a doubt, there were four families that would be absolutely devastated from hearing a death notification from Section Chief Erin Strauss and there would be two families that might not be devastated but without a doubt changed forever upon hearing a death notice of their family member employed by the FBI BAU. And in one special case, there may not even be family to contact in event of a death.

Without a doubt, the death of Aaron Hotcher would devastate and or destroy the Hotchner/Brooks family. Jack had already lost his mother in a horrific way and Erin could only imagine the devastation of losing his father, his only parent, his hero. From the few times, Erin Strauss had met Jack Hotchner, he seemed to be a quiet, intelligent boy (not a surprise-given his parents' divorce and death of his mother) and Strauss never wanted to be the person took away anymore of that little boy's childhood or innocence. Strauss had only meet Jessica Brooks at Haley Hotchner's funeral, but the woman seemed to love her nephew very much and carefully kept an eye on her (former) brother-in-law, to make sure he wouldn't fall over the edge. Erin Strauss prayed that Aaron Hotchner lived a long, and if at all possible happy life, and that he would get to see his son grow up; a privilege denied to Haley Hotchner as well as David Rossi.

The second family that Erin Strauss never ever wanted to call was the LaMontagne family. Strauss never wanted to look into the eyes of Henry LaMontagne and tell him that his mother is never coming home. Strauss remembered when her children were Henry's age, and they were very attached to her (before her life went to hell in a handbasket), and she knew that Henry loved his father, but was very attached to his mother, and rightfully so. Erin Strauss never wanted to take that from a little boy, who was so innocent and curious, who dressed up as his beloved godfather for Halloween. While she, herself, had not seen the mini Dr. Reid, she heard about it since the BAU grapevine was notorious for spreading both heartwarming tales and nasty gossip. Erin Strauss would have loved to see Dr. Reid and his mini-me, but when that happened, Strauss did not have a friendly enough relationship with BAU Alpha, where friendly interactions with the team's children would have been allowed or appreciated.

The third family she never ever wanted to call and inform of an agent's death was Diana Reid; Spencer Reid's mother and in a sense the only biological family he had. Erin Strauss had never met Diana Reid, even though she once forcibly visited the BAU to help with a case, but she knew of her schizophrenia diagnosis, because there were specific instructions to inform Mrs. Reid (and Mrs. Reid's doctor if necessary) of his possible death in Dr. Reid's file . She also knew that Dr. Reid loved his mother deeply, and did the best he could to keep in touch with her despite the physical miles between them. Strauss' heart, that she had to keep buried at work, broke for Dr. Spencer Reid having to watch his mother deteriorate, and there is nothing that could be done to prevent the mental illness from eventually taking over Diana Reid; the medications only slowed the progress and tried to make Mrs. Reid's life as comfortable as possible. Strauss thought to herself that while her alcoholism is a disease; it is much easier to manage and deal with than schizophrenia. Erin Strauss didn't know if she fully believed in God, but she prayed that when Mrs. Reid passed, it was peacefully and her sleep and she also prayed that Dr. Reid did not inherit the gene for schizophrenia. There is one thing that Erin Strauss knew for sure and that is Diana Reid loved her son, and that was the only thing keeping her on this earthly plane. And without a doubt, that hearing on her only child was killed; Diana Reid would likely die shortly after hearing the news of Spencer's death. Very truly, Erin Strauss hoped she never had to call Diana Reid and tell her that she would never see her only child again. While there were quite a few differences between herself and Diana Reid, Erin Strauss knew that without a doubt, both women loved their children fiercely, and their children were their reason for doing everything to stay on Earth as long as possible, so that they can watch their children learn, love and grow.

The fourth family she never wanted to give a death notice was the Rossi family, because David was both an agent under her command and her beloved. Erin Strauss and David Rossi had started dating a few months after Erin returned from rehab, and she realized she loved David more than she loved her ex-husband, Andrew, and David loved her more than Andrew ever loved her. Those who are battling addiction are told to avoid getting into a relationship until they have been sober for a year, but Erin needed David's unwavering love and support. If something ever happened to David, she didn't know how she would ever inform his mother and sisters that they would never see David ever again. Erin Strauss wondered how many times Francesca Rossi had feared for her son's life and how many times she had come close to losing her only son. Erin knew that David served and was injured in Vietnam. No matter what the United States thought about that conflict, Erin was proud of David's service and respected his dedication to his country. She also knew that were close calls during his first stint with the FBI. To Strauss, it didn't seem fair that David could survive Vietnam, the death of his newborn son and later his first ex-wife, Carolyn, his time in FBI, only to die when he had found the third love of his life and had found step-children that adored him. Erin Strauss realized that not only would she be devastated by David's death, her three children would be devastated by the death of man who loved their mother, and treated them as his own children. Every night, Erin Strauss fervently prayed that she and David would live a long and happy life together.

The first family that would be forever changed by a phone call from Erin Strauss would the Morgan family. From reading Derek Moran's file, she knew that Derek Morgan's father was killed during a robbery when Derek was 10 years old. Once again, Strauss' heart broke for a little boy who grew up with his father. And Strauss also knew of the abuse suffered at the hands of Carl Buford. Strauss had a feeling that Carl Buford would be dead had Fran Morgan found what the horrible man had done to her son when he was growing up. Erin Strauss had a feeling that Fran Morgan was a strong woman, having to deal with the racism of being married to an African-American man in inner city Chicago, plus dealing with the death of her husband while raising three children. Erin Strauss had a feeling that Mrs. Morgan had been expecting a call informing her of Derek's death since he joined the police academy and Strauss hopes she never has to call the Morgans to inform them that Derek is dead. As for all of the members of Alpha team, Strauss prayed that they all lived long and if at all possible happy lives.

No matter what mixed and complicated feelings, Strauss had about Alex Blake, she never wanted to call her husband in whatever foreign country he was in and inform him that his wife was dead. It had been many years since Erin had met James Blake, but she did remember that he loved Alex, even though their relationship was not the most traditional. No on deserved to hear about the death of their wife over a bad phone or internet connection. Erin was unsure if she and Alex could ever get back to their previous friendship, but she certainly didn't want her to die at the hands of an unsub.

Erin Strauss hopes that nothing else ever happens to Penelope Garcia because she is unsure of who she would call. In Penelope Garcia's file, her next of kin is listed as Aaron Hotcher and Spencer Reid. It struck Strauss as odd that Ms. Garcia listed her team mates as next of kin as opposed to a family member or a friend. Strauss also did remember that Penelope's mother and step father were deceased; but she could not recall if Penelope had any step-siblings. Strauss was never prepared how to deal with a FBI employee who had no real next of kin.

Even though, Erin Strauss had a shaky belief in God, she prayed that all the members of Alpha would live long lives including watching Jack and Henry grow up, and that the job wouldn't destroy their souls. No matter what problems , she had with Alpha, she never ever wanted their lives to end in a violent fashion at the hand of an unsub and she would do everything she possibly could to ensure that they came home safely.


End file.
